Lesson 70: Discussing the story’s ending

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🟣 D. Reading Together

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Objective

Talk about a story’s ending by telling how the problem is solved and how the ending made you feel.

Materials

Mini-lesson — How can we talk about the ending?

Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

The ending shows what happens after the big problem or adventure. It is where we see how things turn out.

Good readers can talk about the ending by asking:

  • What problem did the characters have?
  • How was the problem solved?
  • How do the characters feel at the end?
  • Do I like this ending? Why or why not?

There are many kinds of endings. An ending can be:

  • happy — things turn out well
  • sad — something hard happens
  • funny — something silly happens
  • surprising — something you did not expect

You can use these frames:

“At the end, the problem is solved when…”

“I feel ____ about this ending because…”

Today, you will practice telling what happens at the end of a story and sharing your ideas about it.

Picture strip: The story ending “puzzle piece”

Guided Practice — Mini-book: Talking about the ending

How to use this mini-book:

  • Read each page and think about the ending of the tiny story.
  • Notice how the problem is solved and how the characters feel.
  • Practice saying if you like the ending and why.

On your paper, draw the last scene of a favorite story. Then write one sentence that starts, “At the end…”

Ending words
ending finally happy sad problem solution feel

Frames: “At the end, …” “I like this ending because …”

Mini-Book: Talking about the ending

1

A small problem

Mila cannot find her favorite book. She looks on the shelf and under her bed.

She feels worried. She wants to read it before bedtime.

Her brother says, “I think I saw it in the living room.”

2

The ending of the story

Mila checks the couch. The book is under a pillow.

She smiles and hugs the book.

At the end, the problem is solved and Mila feels happy and calm.

3

Thinking about the ending

We can say, “At the end, Mila finds her book and feels happy.”

We can also say if we like the ending.

Some readers might say, “I like this ending because the problem is fixed in a kind way.”

4

Sharing ideas

When we talk together, we listen to other people’s ideas about the ending.

We can agree or disagree, but we stay kind.

What do you like or not like about this ending?

Reading Practice — Talking about how stories end

Read each tiny story or idea. Drag the best sentence that you could use to talk about the ending. Chips stay in their own question. Then press “Check sentences.”

A girl loses her toy at recess. Later, her friend brings it back and says, “I picked it up for you.”
A good way to talk about the ending is:

At the end, the problem is solved when her friend returns the toy. At the beginning, she brings a snack to school. What if the toy stayed lost forever?

Two friends have a small fight. At the end, they say sorry and play together again.
A good sentence to share is:

I feel happy about this ending because the friends make up. I do not remember any part of the ending. It is about dinosaurs and planets.

A child’s pet bird flies away. At the end, they never find the bird, but they hang a picture of it on the wall.
A good way to talk about this ending is:

This ending feels a little sad because the pet does not come back. The beginning is very funny. I do not care about endings.

In a school race, everyone thinks the fastest boy will win. At the end, a quiet kid who practiced a lot wins instead.
A good comment is:

The ending is surprising because the quiet kid is the one who wins. This story has no beginning. I only like races, not endings.

Two kids want the last seat by the window on the bus. At the end, they agree to take turns and share it.
A good way to explain the ending is:

At the end, they solve the problem by sharing the last seat. The ending is at the library. This is the longest story in the world.

A boy keeps leaving his room messy. At the end, he just pushes his things under the bed, and his parent does not see them.
A thoughtful comment could be:

I do not like this ending because the problem is not really fixed. Every ending must be silly. Books should not have problems.

A class works together to build a small garden. At the end, the plants grow, and they have flowers to share.
A comment about the ending might be:

This is a happy ending because everyone gets what they need. This is the only story ever written. The ending is about math facts.

Two kids practice a song many times. At the end, they sing on stage without stopping.
A way to talk about the ending is:

At the end, the characters feel proud because they did something hard. At the end, nobody feels anything. The ending is just a long list of names.

Three kids argue about which game to play. At the end, they make a chart and take turns picking.
A good “thinking” question to discuss could be:

What if the ending changed and the kids chose a different solution? Who owns all the games in the world? Why are stories sometimes in books?

Your teacher says, "Today we will talk about the endings of our stories."
The best way to explain what you will do is to .

talk about how the problem is solved and how the ending makes you feel only read the first line and stop talk about a different story that no one read

Quick Check — Discussing the story’s ending

What is the ending of a story?

What is one good question to ask about an ending?

What can you talk about when you discuss the ending?

Which sentence uses an ending frame from this lesson?

How can sharing ideas about the ending help you?

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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